Can I Trust You?
by marehami
Summary: A one-shot of what happened the night that Dipper and Mabel were born.


"That's it Mr. Pines, just cradle her head like this," the nurse gently helped Stan get into the appropriate position to hold his newborn niece.

"Ah…geez….you sure you don't want to stick around and make sure I don't….ya know….break her?" Stan said as he glanced down at the tiny baby in his arms. He was always a man who appeared to have a knack for breaking things, and looking at the sweet and perfect new life he knew that he didn't want to break her.

The nurse gave him a small smile. She had worked in the maternity ward for years now, so she was familiar to the site of strong men turning to nervous jelly when handed a bundle of joy.

She wanted to stay and reassure him, but she suddenly got buzzed back to the ICU where she and the other doctors and nurses were working on her twin brother, who had been born with the umbilical cord around his neck. He was having trouble breathing, which was why they were leaving his twin sister with this seemingly random old man.

"You'll be fine sir! Just look after her! We will be back as soon as we can!" she promised as she rushed down the hall.

Stan's heart sunk as it filled with worry for the other tiny twin. He hadn't even gotten a good look at him yet. All he had heard was his mother and father commenting on a mysterious birthmark on his forehead.

" _Dipper….that will be a nice nickname," His mother had said in a shaky voice, almost like she was trying to tell herself that if she started thinking about the boy's future….he would have one._

At that moment Stan vowed that if the boy pulled through, and if he ever got the chance, he would make sure the boy was strong enough to never get hurt again.

He was snapped out of these thoughts by a little cry coming from the baby girl in his arms.

Stan was surprised at how much hearing her cry _hurt him._ Babies cry, it's one of the most basic facts of life, so why did it burn so much to hear this one cry in distress? Maybe it was because Stan had no idea how to make it stop?

His heels naturally pushed off the rocking chair he was sitting in as he gently rocked the child back and forth. That was supposed to soothe babies right?

When she continued crying Stan thought about flagging down a nurse to help him, but he knew that they needed to be with the other infant now.

For now Stan would have to be enough.

He thought about what things made him smile, and made him feel less sad. He was a man who had experienced lots of sadness in his life, and as such, had come up with numerous techniques for when the hurt and sadness seemed too much.

"Hey…it's alright kiddo….it's gonna be alright….how about a joke?" Stan offered.

"My ex-wife still misses me….but her aim is gettin better…"

Thee baby continued sobbing.

"I said her _aim_ is getting better!" Stan repeated the punch line.

"I guess you don't have much of a sense of humor yet….see the joke is that marriage is terrible."

The baby only sobbed harder.

"Yeah…my thoughts exactly," Stan said sadly.

He had just met this baby, and already he was letting her down. He thought this could be his chance to start fresh with someone in his life, prove that underneath the gruff exterior, he was just a lonely man who longed to be loved.

The thought was enough to make him almost want to cry too, but he shook it off, like he had to do so many times in his life.

It did give him an idea though, he began to consider _why_ the baby was crying.

"I guess you and your brother have been stuck together in a tight spot for a long time….so you must miss him," Stan's voice cracked. He placed the baby girl on his chest, hoping that hearing another heartbeat would remind her that even without her twin, she wasn't alone. He then stared down at the baby and brought his voice down to a whisper.

"Can I trust you with a secret?" he whispered.

The baby continued to cry, but also shifted her limited gaze to the odd-smelling man holding her.

The sweet sight made Stan smile in spite of it all.

"I have…. _had_ ….a twin too. I don't exactly know where he is right now, but I like to think he's still alive….waiting for me to bring him home….I hope that I can one day….it's too complicated of a story for you to understand….heck most days I can't understand it,"

The child's cries suddenly got quieter, as if she was trying to show him she was listening to his story.

"The bottom line is….I messed up. I got mad at him, and the angry turned into something I never wanted. It cost me a lot, but worst of all, it cost me years with my best friend."

At that moment the baby girl grabbed his finger and held it in her tiny hand. It was almost as if she was trying to tell him that she would be his best friend now.

Stan gave the baby a genuine smile, as he kissed her forehead.

"Promise me something ok sweetie? Promise me that even if your brother fight, and even if you two ever get really _really_ mad at each other, that you two will always stick together? This life thing is….complicated, but family needs to stick by each other. It matters more than anything. More than fame, or success, or even money."

The baby gave him a smile as if she was promising in her own way.

She then reached up and playfully pinched at his comically large nose.

"Oh so you _DO_ have a sense of humor, do ya?"

Stan gave her a more playful raspberry kiss on the cheek, causing her to giggle. It was the most beautiful sound Stan had ever heard. He promised himself that if he taught his nephew to be strong, he would teach his niece to be silly, if for no other reason than he wanted to hear that giggle for the rest of his life.

"I'm glad you and I had this talk," Stan said.

The baby girl responded with a yawn. Stan naturally cradled the baby closer to his chest and began humming a soothing tune. Before he knew it she was fast asleep.

Looking down at the child sleeping in his arms, Stan felt prouder of himself than he had been in a long time.

 _Maybe my life isn't a total waste after all._


End file.
